Post gig chat with Knife Bride's Mollie and Sean
London witnessed a fully charged set from Knife Bride, a Brighton-based band, paving their way through the metal scene with their self-defined genre, "Nu Gothica." We managed to catch lead singer Mollie and guitarist Sean after their performance at The O2 Islington 2, supporting Defects, to explore their unique sound, influences, and energy that they bring to their music.
Finding Their Sound with "Nu Gothica".
Knife Bride is iconic for the term "Nu-Gothica", a term they carefully crafted to pair with their dark, cinematic vision. Mollie shared, "We wanted to coin our own term that was important to us. We bring this sort of cinematic energy—this shade, this element of darkness that’s supposed to feel romantic, divine, and nostalgic."
When asked about the journey to defining this sound, both Mollie and Sean agreed it wasn’t a challenge after they found "Nu Gothica" but it did take a bit of experimentation. Mollie noted they started with a more playful style dubbed "slut metal". Sean added, "It was an identity thing that none of us really gelled with until we found this."
Playing at Download Festival
Knife Bride recently played at two major festivals: Burn It Down and Download. The experiences couldn’t have been more different. Burn It Down, according to Sean, is an intimate and community-driven experience where "even the staff couldn’t do enough for each other". In contrast, Download was a dream fulfilled on a monumental scale. "It’s something we’ve all dreamed of doing for so long", Mollie explained, recollecting the mix of excitement and nerves as they took to the Dogtooth Stage.
Sean recollected how there was quite a bit of anxiety amongst the band as they were about to hit the stage, due to their set clashing with Wargasm, mixed with technical issues that meant drummer, Sean, was having a nightmare. But once guitarist, Sean clicked his fingers and told him to "enjoy the moment" and once they were a song in, it was a 'dream come true'.
Creating a Cinematic Stage Presence
Now, I had never heard of Knife Bride before I saw them at this gig but I can now say without a doubt that their energy is unmistakable. When asked about how they create this energetic presence, Mollie attributes much of her expressive movement to early influences like Kate Bush, whose free, interpretive style inspired her to let loose.
For guitarist Sean, it’s all about raw intensity. "Mick Thompson from Slipknot has always been an inspiration for me, especially in terms of stage presence", he said. Mollie described how each band member has their unique persona that contributes to a collective, theatrical experience: "Craig is like a very cuddly, soft, sentimental boy, and I'm saying boy, then he gets on stage, and he's a monster. Like he's just goes into demon mode".
Lyrical Themes
It is no secret that Mollie, as the lyricist, has incorporated themes of empowerment, introspection, and emotional honesty into Knife Bride’s music. She explained that she’s unafraid to tackle topics that others may shy away from, like libido struggles or the complexities of conflict in relationships. "I want to address things to might make people feel less alone," she explained, emphasizing her aim to create something beautiful yet relatable.
She said "I would like to address things to hopefully speak to people when they feel lonely" - Linking this directly to Knife Bride's newest song 'Territory'.
New Music and Big Dreams
Thankfully, Knife Bride has no plans on disappearing anytime soon and has some really big plans in the works. "The next six months to a year will be spent in the studio," Mollie revealed. They’re sitting on a a ton of new material that they believe will the the defining point in their next chapter, which Mollie says they are trying to be patient with... With Sean adding "which we're not very good at".
When asked about potential collaborations, Mollie dreams of touring with Spiritbox or working with artists like Lake Malice, expressing admiration for their talent and hoping for creative opportunities in the near future.
